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Study: Travelers Name Greece Top Pick in Europe for its Beaches
Posted On 25 Aug 2022
Beach in Greece. Photo source: Holidu / Dimitris Kiriakakis, Unsplash
Greece is the most popular European country for beach lovers this year, according to the Best Beaches Index 2022 released by vacation rentals search engine Holidu.
According to Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing based on Google rankings, Greece is in the lead garnering 5.4k Google searches every month and 142k+ Instagram hashtags.
Top picks for beach-seeking travelers planning trips to Greece and searching for info on Google are Crete, Naxos and Mykonos.
“Make sure Greece is at the top of your list this year, as you won’t want to miss out,” says Holidu.
Besides Greece, second in line is Italy with 5.4k Google searches per month and 71k+ Instagram hashtags, followed by Portugal with 3.6k Google searches each month and 61k+ Instagram hashtags.
Completing the Top 5 list are France with 3.6k Google searches per month and 42k+ Instagram hashtags and Ireland with 880 Google searches per month and 42k+ IG hashtags.
Beach in France. Photo source: Holidu / Oscar Nord, Unsplash
The study included all European countries and the ranking was drawn up using the average number of monthly searches on Google in the last 12 months for each of the country names combined with the keyword: “beaches”, the Instagram hashtags for this keyword, and its variations.
Beach in Ireland. Photo source: Holidu / Sumit Chinchane, Unsplash
It should be noted that 581 Greek beaches are among the world’s cleanest awarded this year with Blue Flag quality certification. Greece ranked second in the world after Spain, which was ranked 6th in Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing, with 8.1k Google searches per month and 29.9k+ Instagram hashtags.
The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels, awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
Many large hotels are taking over sections of beaches and also some restaurants taking bits of beach all the n a bud to charge people for sun beds so yes the beaches are popular but the downside they are suppose to be free and not charge people to use them.
Beaches are free in Greece, they are public property and anyone can use them. Sun beds are charged because someone paid for them and they are running a business. Access to a beach can also be charged, if the only way to get to it, by land, is to go through someone’s private property. Even so, multiple owners that face the beach, side by side, must provide public access at determined intervals. The exception is a property that takes up an entire bay. But even in that case, anyone may access the beach itself from the water or from another access point. If someone buys an entire island, they only own down to a certain point – they still can’t own its beaches. Bring you own sun bed, shade and towel and no one can tell you to leave!